Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Hazardous Materials Violations
On July 10, 2014, Raymond George, owner of George Welding & Supply (GWS) in Montoursville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to illegally transporting hazardous materials.
George admitted that from January 2001 through January 2012, he fraudulently certified that GWS properly tested cylinders containing hazardous gases. GWS was not authorized to test cylinders, but George applied false markings in the form of illicit Requalifier Identification Numbers (RIN) to the cylinders. He then leased the cylinders creating a situation where GWS either transported or allowed others to transport the falsely stamped cylinders. The suspect cylinders contained hazardous gases including argon, acetylene, carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, and oxygen.
The investigation determined that George illegally stamped RINs on compressed gas cylinders without having the proper registration and certification as required by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). He illegally utilized RINs that were issued by PHMSA to multiple registered and certified companies across the United States.